When the Mice Are Away, the Cats Will Play
by thejapanesemapletree
Summary: The lions of Voltron discuss their paladins' lovelives.


**A/N:** This takes place a little before the final battle of Season 2!

.

The Blue Lion settled to rest, and she lowered her head and opened her mouth. Her paladin slid more than walked out, and he yanked off his helmet as soon as he was in the hanger. Without him, her particle barrier immediately went up, and she had to watch through the screen as her paladin threw up his arm and clashed together with his comrades. He seemed to pay attention to one particular red paladin, and the Blue Lion purred in the back of her subconscious as she watched them wrangle together.

The Blue Lion loved her paladin a lot, and more than anything in the universe she wanted him to be happy: to get back to the planet he loved so much, to see his family again, and to just maybe—on top of it all—find a partner that cared for him in the best of ways. And if that partner happened to be the paladin that was just as fiery as his lion, then she would do everything in her power to assure they were together.

The Blue Lion spoke in a way that was not really speaking, projecting the image of the blue and red paladins in her thoughts like she had done when the paladins had first come to her, to the mindscape all the lions shared in someplace that was not quite of this universe.

" _Aren't they cute, Red?"_

The Red Lion said nothing. Then, her presence came, slow and hostile like a beast on the prowl.

" _I told you not to call me that,"_ the Red Lion's thoughts held a tangible edge; that name was saved for her paladin, and her paladin alone. _"And I do not like what you are insinuating with that statement."_

" _Do you not think they would make a good couple?"_ The Blue Lion showed the image again, and she felt her companion growl. _"Romantically, I mean."_

" _No."_

" _Why not?"_

" _Do you honestly think that your paladin is good enough for mine?"_ The Blue Lion sensed the motion of the Red Lion's tail swishing up in dissatisfaction. _"That's fresh."_

" _Don't be unkind,"_ The Blue Lion defended her paladin, although she knew deep down the Red Lion was just being irritable and did not carry heart behind her words. _"Why would he not be good enough?"_

"Please," the Red Lion huffed. _"You form the right leg of Voltron, and he cannot even land a single kick."_

The Blue Lion wilted slightly. _"… He's trying. He's getting better."_

" _And he was foolish enough to be tricked by space pirates,"_ the Red Lion reminded her. _"He almost lost you to the enemy."_

" _That is not entirely his fault."_

Both the Blue Lion and her paladin were always eager to make friends, and when the alien girl wanted a ride, they thought nothing malicious of it. It served as a lesson to both of them that some people hurt by the Galra worked for their own side, and that one paladin should not go off on their own with strangers.

" _Even the yellow paladin thought they were untrustworthy, and you still fed right into their plan."_

" _But you saved us! Your paladin flew through an asteroid field just to save me. That says something about our paladin's relationship."_

" _That says something about my paladin's skill,"_ the Red Lion perked proudly. _"He understands the value we hold together."_

The Blue Lion knew now she held no allies in this quest to bring the red and blue paladins together. She lowered her head, and she sensed the Red Lion pacing the length of the plane because she saw herself as right.

" _But…"_ she added, and the Blue Lion raised her head. _"Considering the black paladin is free, I would not be opposed to that."_

The Blue Lion's tail curved up in shock. The nerve!

" _Now you are just being cruel."_

" _The black paladin is the fearless leader,"_ the Red Lion hummed, and she moved now like she was hunting. _"His battle prowess is amicable, he can think through any problem, and his team follows him without question. Who would not want that?"_

The Blue Lion was not known to get angry, but she was about to. Were it not for the appearance of the Black Lion, she may have had to force herself away from the conversation. But, the Black Lion stepped into the plane, her presence as powerful and dangerous as a supernova itself.

" _Stop this."_

The Red Lion stopped moving. The Blue Lion lowered her tail, and sat respectfully before the leader.

" _There is no need to cause strife over something so foolish,"_ the Black Lion rumbled like thunder. _"Each paladin decides their own feelings."_

Decisive as always. Still, the Red Lion was always insistent with her ways, and she sat like the Blue Lion.

" _But, you would agree that the traits of your paladin are impressive."_ She wanted her words confirmed.

" _Yes. Otherwise, he would not be my paladin. But we are in the midst of a war. There is no time for such things as romance."_

All the lions knew how much the Black Lion loved her paladin, and her deep need to protect him from the man who had caused them both so much pain. She had even been ready to surrender herself if it meant he would be spared, and allowed another into her cockpit in order to save him. Out of all the lions, she was the one ready to make the most sacrifices and take all the responsibility, and that was heroics of a leader all the lions could admire.

Regardless, the Red Lion had no right to say such things about the Blue Lion's precious paladin. Maybe she had been around him too long, because the Blue Lion turned her head and quipped so much like him he would have been proud.

" _Thinking it over, I do not think someone irrational enough to try to take on the emperor of the Galra Empire alone is a good influence for my paladin. He has always been closer to the Yellow Lion's paladin, anyway."_

If the Red Lion had hackles, she would have raised them. The Blue Lion felt her gaze burning into her like twin suns, and a warning growling from her throat. The Black Lion ceased their standoff immediately.

" _I told you to stop this foolishness. We do not need conflict compromising the team."_

As always, she was right. The Red Lion and the Blue Lion backed off each other's metaphorical throats, knowing it was for the best. And it may have been the end of it if the Yellow Lion had not joined them in the plane.

" _And please do not bring my paladin into this,"_ the Yellow Lion pleaded with her warm voice. _"I believe he is interested in the Balmeran girl, anyway."_

" _Are you saying my paladin is not good enough for yours either?"_ The Blue Lion was having the worst run of luck today. _"I would not expect you to say such things."_

" _No, no."_ The Yellow Lion must have been spending too much time with her paladin too, because she seemed to be taking part of his nervous streak. _"I do not care who my paladin decides to love, if he decides to love anyone at all."_

" _But, would you agree our paladins are close?"_ The Blue Lion asked, and the Red Lion flicked her tail at her own tactic being used against her. _"They knew each other before they knew us."_

"… _Yes,"_ the Yellow Lion said after a moment. _"They are close. They were friends back on their planet."_

The Blue Lion said nothing more, for the Yellow Lion said it all. The Red Lion wanted more than anything to growl and snap back, but controlled herself. She did not want the Black Lion to think lowly of her.

" _But…"_ the Green Lion appeared suddenly in the space, her curious nature drawing her into the conversation. _"The same logic can be applied to the red paladin and black paladin. They knew each other long before they knew us."_

The Blue Lion turned her head, not wanting to see the triumphant gleam in the Red Lion's eyes.

" _That is correct,"_ the Red Lion said matter-of-factly. _"In fact, when my paladin was enduring the Trials of Marmora, the person he wished to see most was the black paladin."_

" _That is another piece of evidence."_ It was painfully obvious to the Blue Lion that the Green Lion held no stakes in this. _"Perhaps the red paladin does have feelings for the black paladin."_

The Black Lion had enough of this talk. She held herself up and spoke, her voice as strong as solar winds.

" _Enough."_

All the lions froze. The Black Lion stood to her full height: bigger than any of them alone. The leader. The level head of them all.

" _This conversation is frivolous. What does it matter who our paladins have romantic feelings for? We are a team. We work together to form Voltron. All our paladins care deeply for one another, so talk of influencing those feelings into something more is mediocre to our task of defending the innocent. Consider that when we enter our next battle against the Galra Empire."_

Her words thrummed through them all the way to the core. Had the Blue Lion really begun to be so inconsiderate, dedicating her heart so much to her paladin that she almost forgot the rest of the team? She knew in the very essence of her being that they were stronger together, and her near blindness to that made her life force quiver.

The Blue Lion and the Red Lion looked at each other apologetically.

"… _Yes."_

" _Of course."_

The Black Lion rumbled, then turned clockwise, her form disappearing from the plane.

" _I must go. My paladin calls me."_

The Blue Lion felt it as well, and she moved in a circle, the plane and the other lions wiped from her mind as she settled her thoughts with her physical body back in the hanger. The paladins were gone save for one. Her paladin smiled up at her, his tiny hand against her giant claw.

"Great job out there today!" he cheered, and she gave a little affectionate tug in his mind she hoped he felt. "I can always count on you when I'm in a pinch, Blue!"

The Blue Lion always thought she could never love him more than she already did, and he always found ways to prove her wrong. She purred so loudly the hanger began to shake, and she used her freewill to lower her head and nuzzle her paladin. He jolted at first from the sudden movement, then laughed and rubbed over her chin.

"Whoa! What brought this on? You feeling affectionate today?"

She tugged again, harder this time, and her paladin blinked at the response. He rubbed his hand wider over her chin, his emotions connected with hers, and his heartbeat a faint flutter she felt in her life force. He smiled at her again, and she was sure she could never love him more.

Maybe getting back to his planet was an uncertainty. Maybe finding him someone that loved him romantically would never come to be. But, until everything was said and done, he would always, _always_ have her. She would make sure of that.

He was her paladin, and her paladin alone.


End file.
